Troy – Berks Sports Report

Troy Godinet-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 06:17:16 +0000

It may not have been pretty, but the “Battle of the Border” trophy is staying at Reading High. The (1-1) Red Knights defeated rival Muhlenberg 34-20 at Shirk Stadium. “We’re still working on building the culture here, but these kids have worked extremely hard. I’m proud of them. I love them,” said head coach Troy Godinet. The former All-County linebacker at Reading saw his defense allow just six points in the second half. The (1-1) Muhls failed to score on their final four possessions. Each team committed three turnovers and more than ten penalties. Gabriel Laws provided the first and last touchdowns of the night. His 12-yard run off the left side capped a 55-yard drive and put the Red Knights on top 7-0 just three minutes into the contest. Laws, a 210-pound senior linebacker, powered his way into the end zone from two yards out with 11:22 remaining. That touchdown gave Reading a 14-point cushion. “He is the emotional leader of this team. That kid has worked his tail off…He’s one of the reasons I applied for this job,” stated Godinet. Laws finished with 69 yards on ten carries. Kayson Fritz was nearly perfect through the air. The 6’1, 200-pound senior went 11-of-12 for 126 yards. Fritz also ran for 111 yards on 16 carries. After a 31-yard completion down the left sideline to 6’2 senior Xavier Beatty, Fritz ran seven yards for a score and a 14-6 edge in the second quarter. An interception by senior cornerback Alexis Alvarado set up the Red Knights at Muhlenberg’s 25-yard line. Fritz found Jared Santos over the middle for a 24-yard touchdown with 23 seconds to go before halftime. Santos, a 5’10 senior, made a terrific leaping grab for a 21-14 lead. Reading opened the second half by marching 66 yards in just five plays. A 1-yard score by Alvarado made it 27-14. He had 68 yards on 13 carries. “He’s just a competitive kid. He’s gonna bounce back. He’s battled a tremendous amount of adversity over this past year. He’s a great kid,” replied Godinet. The Red Knights outgained the Muhls 392-to-306. Reading transfer Cameron Small grinded out 170 yards and 3TD on 29 carries. Small, a 182-pound junior, sprinted 16 yards up the middle for a touchdown with 7:38 left in the third quarter. That pulled the Muhls within 27-20. Head coach Rob Flowers turned to freshman quarterback Adriel Baez in the fourth period. Starting QB Christian Coley ended up 8-of-18 for 63 yards and a pick. Baez was intercepted by Jeremiah Camara midway through the final quarter. The Red Knights have won three straight in the series with Muhlenberg. “It’s a great rivalry. The kids know each other. The communities come out,” said Godinet.

Troy Godinet-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 18:37:00 +0000

If you talk with Troy Godinet, you could never tell that he’s taking over a football program that won one game and was outscored 293-98 a season ago. The former Reading High standout linebacker is always upbeat and full of energy. The first-year head coach is thrilled with the effort that he has seen from his 63 players. “We’re light years ahead of where we were in the past at this time. The kids are buying into each other as the most important thing right now. Culturewise, we’re farther than I thought we’d ever be. I’m very pleased with the way our kids are handling things, and they’re the reason why we’re here,” Godinet said. The Red Knights were (8-26) under Andre Doyle over the previous four years. Godinet was Reading’s defensive coordinator since 2018. He’s very familiar with that side of the ball. The all-county selection piled up 105 tackles and eleven sacks in 2003 when the Red Knights reached the District 3 championship game. James Bryant and company lost to Cumberland Valley 32-14. Godinet went on to play at Mansfield. He inherits a squad that is young up front, but experienced at quarterback. Amier Burdine returns after missing last season due to a broken collarbone. Burdine received significant playing time at QB as a freshman. “It’s a kid you know you can count on doing the right things on a regular basis. The kids follow him. He has an understanding of the offense [and] the defense as well. He gives you that big play threat. Everybody listens to him and gravitates towards him,” said Godinet. Burdine will be throwing to one of his basketball teammates. First team all-state guard Ruben Rodriguez is expected to get a lot of targets in Reading’s spread offense. The 6’1, 185-pound Rider commit enters his senior year with 1,291 career points. Godinet told me that sophomore WR/DB Kahlil Samuel has a lot of potential. Jahsir Drayton and Josh Orbe-Carreras are also part of the wide receiver group. Gabe Laws is another promising sophomore. The 6’, 210-pound linebacker can squat 475 pounds. He’s a versatile offensive player who will be utilized at TE, FB, and H-back. The Red Knights are back in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Godinet is happy to have Wilson on the schedule once again. “That’s something that’s super important to not only me, but this community. We love playing Wilson. No matter what the record is, the stands are gonna be full. It’s exciting to get back to that rivalry because it means something,” he emphasized. Reading has a difficult test to begin the season. The Red Knights travel to Central Dauphin East on Friday. Godinet replied, “They have a great coach and you can see the things that he’s done with that program to steer them in the right direction. They’re a very athletic team. They’re disciplined. We know we’re going to have our hands full.” CD East finished (7-4) in 2021 and qualified for the District 3-6A playoffs. Reading also has Central York on its non-league slate. While the schedule is challenging, Godinet remains full of optimism.

Troy Godinet-Reading Football Coach

Paul Roberts — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 13:23:00 +0000

Troy Godinet knows all about the glory days of Reading High football two decades ago. He knows about the rout of Wilson in West Lawn when Chad Henne was at quarterback for the Bulldogs. He knows about reaching the District 3 championship game at Hersheypark Stadium and battling mighty Cumberland Valley. He knows about it because he was right in the middle of it. Godinet was an all-county linebacker for the Red Knights. The 2004 graduate was recently approved by the school board as Reading’s new head football coach. Godinet told me that he has already received tremendous support from the players and the community. He said, “We’re going to bring back the Red Knight way.” Godinet piled up 105 tackles and eleven sacks during the 2003 season. We talked about the amazing talent on that squad including star LB/FB James Bryant. Reading rolled over most of its opponents before falling to Cumberland Valley 32-14 in the District 3 Final. Godinet, who started at Mansfield University as a freshman, remains very good friends with his high school teammates. I asked what it will take to make the program successful again. The Red Knights were (1-7) last year. According to Godinet, the Covid-19 pandemic set the football team back three or four years. However, he likes the young players that he sees coming up through the program. He also has a great relationship with quarterback Amier Burdine. The 6’1 junior is a starter on the Reading basketball team (listen closely and you’ll hear Burdine at the end of the interview). Godinet is a big proponent of multi-sport athletes. We discussed the merger of the Berks and Lancaster-Lebanon football leagues. He’s excited about facing Wilson again. Godinet replaced Andre Doyle who was (8-26) over four seasons. Godinet had been the Red Knights’ defensive coordinator since 2018. He works as a Safe School Officer in the Reading School District.